28th day of Elient, 1492 DR.
We were no longer inside the Elfsong Tavern's rooms. Raphael had snapped his fingers, and as he did, we had been plunged into an illusory world, one that resembled our own as it had been but a few hours ago, after the fall of the dreaded Absolute, the Netherbrain. It was not real, it was not tangible. We were there to bear witness and nothing more. As I watched the scenes unfold, I felt them as if my very soul was experiencing them. I recount the events as best I can as I saw them reflected on the illusory face of my companion.
Karlach, her heart's infernal engine roaring like the fires of Avernus itself, felt the heat within her chest reach unbearable levels. The final battle in the harbour of Baldur's Gate had come to an end, but the warrior feared she would not live to see the aftermath. As I witnessed her fall to her knees, a sense of impending doom settled upon me.
"Is this it?" she whispered, her voice barely audible above the cacophony of the dying battlefield. Her gaze rose from the cobblestones slick with blood, searching for her comrades among the devastation.
To her clear amazement, everything around her was frozen, as if time itself had stopped. Warriors paused mid-swing, their weapons hanging in the air above their heads, and even the very smoke from the fires seemed suspended in place.
"Well, well, well," came a suave, charismatic voice that sent a shiver down my spine. There, standing beside Karlach, was none other than Raphael. An illusory replica of him, at the very least.
"Wh-what are you doing here? Leave!" Karlach stammered, her confusion and anger palpable. "What do you want?"
"Patience, dear Karlach. Just one moment, if you please," Raphael replied calmly. He raised his hand towards her heaving chest, and for a brief instant, the heat inside her flared intensely, only to be immediately replaced by a sudden, shocking coolness. The demon's hand glowed briefly, as if he'd absorbed some of the infernal fuel that powered her heart.
"Feeling better?" he asked, a wicked grin playing on his lips.
"Can you fix it?" Karlach demanded, her voice quivering with a blend of desperation and defiance. She braced herself for the inevitable bargain he would attempt to strike for her very soul.
"Ah, my dear," Raphael sighed, an air of regret in his voice. "I'm afraid I cannot. I can tinker with it a bit, perhaps, but not fix it. The magical core will refuel itself soon enough, but it was made in Avernus, and only Avernus can hold its heat."
"Then piss off," she spat, clenching her fists at her sides. "I'll face whatever comes next on my own terms!"
"Wait," Raphael said smoothly, raising a hand to stay her rejection. "While I may not be able to repair your heart, I can offer you something else – a chance at more time."
"More time?" Karlach's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and she warily regarded the demon before her. "At what cost?"
Raphael chuckled softly, his darkened eyes gleaming with cunning. "I assure you, I am not here to claim your soul or bind you to servitude. No, I have another transaction in mind, one that you might find...agreeable."
"Agreeable? From a demon like you?" Her tone dripped with skepticism, but I could see the flicker of hope in her eyes. Even at the very end, prepared as I could see she was to accept the ultimate fate, she was still willing to drink from the wellspring of hope, and Raphael knew it.
"Indeed," he continued, undeterred by her mistrust. "You see, I am looking for a particular deal, and you happen to fit the bill perfectly. In exchange for your cooperation, I could tweak your infernal engine just enough to give you a bit more time. And the best part? You wouldn't even need to go into Avernus."
"More time..." she whispered, her thoughts racing as she weighed her options. The prospect of a few more precious moments, a chance to say goodbye to her friends and perhaps make a difference, was tempting. But she knew the risks all too well – Raphael's intentions were anything but altruistic.
"Think it over," he urged gently, his voice a velvety caress that seemed to wrap around her very thoughts. "I assure you, I abide by contractual demonic law. You have my word."
"Your word?" Karlach scoffed, but I could see the struggle within her. The desire to survive, to protect those she cared for, warred with the knowledge that dealing with Raphael would undoubtedly come at a steep price.
"Time is short, dear Karlach," Raphael reminded her, his gaze never wavering from hers. "Choose wisely."
"Damn my foolishness," Karlach muttered, the frustration and fear etching itself into her voice. She knew that asking for more information was akin to inviting a viper into her bed, but as the heat of the infernal engine pressed against her chest, she couldn't deny her desperation. "Fine, I'm listening. But no promises."
"Have you heard of Solvitaris?" Raphael asked. "No? Progeny of the first Phoenix, Solvitaris. A being of unmatchable power and ancientry, whose flames have seen the birth and decay of worlds, whose wings have cast shadows over the wars of gods and demons alike. None of this rings any bells?"
Karlach furrowed her brown, her irritation transparent in every breath she took. "A friend of yours?"
Raphael laughed in response, his voice ringing with clear, obvious amusement. "Oh my dear, no. Solvitaris is a being so primeval, so sovereign, that to imagine him bound by friendships or enmities with beings like us is as absurd as conceiving the oceans befriend the moon. But he is powerful. Oh, so unfathomably powerful."
"So how did you make a deal with him?" Karlach said, skepticism punctuating every word.
"Not with him, my dear Karlach. With his followers," Raphael purred. "They have eyes and ears in places you don't even know exist, and they are... intrigued by your predicament. Have been for some time, I reckon."
"By me?" Karlach's brow furrowed, and I felt the weight of her skepticism press down upon us both.
"Indeed," Raphael replied, flicking a finger towards her. The infernal engine within her heart flared painfully for an instant, causing her to gasp and clutch at her chest. "They're interested in the power that holds."
"Power..." she echoed, her voice strained from the sudden increase of pain.
"Exactly," Raphael affirmed, his tone dripping with false sympathy. "You see, they believe that there is potential within you – within this engine – that could benefit them greatly. Power so great that it will consume itself, you can see how their interest is piqued. And in return, they may be able to help you."
At this point, Raphael began crafting his sinister offer. "All you must do is agree to hear them out. You might die anyway, or perhaps..." He paused, allowing the tantalizing possibility to hang in the air like a forbidden fruit. "You might find yourself reborn, much like the Phoenix they revere."
"Reborn?" The word seemed to catch in Karlach's throat, her hope mingling with trepidation. "Can you promise such a thing?"
"I do not promise what I cannot give. Nothing in life is certain, dear Karlach," Raphael admitted, his tongue dancing around the truth. "But you must admit, the possibility is intriguing. I'm dying to see how it turns out. When faced with the abyss, wouldn't you prefer to take a chance at salvation?"
I could feel the battle raging within Karlach's heart – the desire for more time, for survival, warring against her innate distrust of the demon before her. She knew that striking a bargain with Raphael was tantamount to dancing on the edge of a blade, and yet the allure of even a fleeting chance at life was impossible to resist.
"Fine," she conceded, gritting her teeth as if the very words were poison. "I'll hear them out. But I'm not agreeing to anything more than that."
"Of course not," Raphael assured her, his smile as sharp and cold as a winter's night. "That is all I ask."
As he spoke, I couldn't help but shudder. For in that moment, it became all too clear that Karlach had stepped into the devil's snare – and there would be no easy escape from the tangled web she now found herself ensnared within.
And yet, I could see how Karlach hesitated, her resolve wavering like the flickering light of a candle caught in a draft. I felt her uncertainty as if it were my own, each breath, each heartbeat echoing through me as if we were one. And yet, I could do nothing but watch, helpless to intervene, as Raphael seized upon this moment of weakness.
"Allow me to clarify," he said, his voice soft as velvet. With a snap of his fingers, a piece of parchment appeared in front of Karlach, floating in mid-air. The text within burned bright with the fire of Avernus. "A simple contract, nothing more."
I watched as Karlach's eyes scanned the document, her expression a mixture of suspicion and wary curiosity. She muttered to herself as she read, then announced aloud the summary of her conclusions. "First, I will stay in the plane of fire as a guest of this... cult, until my engine begins to fail again." She looked up at Raphael, who nodded encouragingly. "And second, I won't raise a finger against you."
She stepped back, and eyed Raphael with suspicion. "Seems almost too generous, doesn't it?" she asked, her voice quivering with doubt.
"Indeed," Raphael replied, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "But consider the benefits for us both. Your engine will not burn out nearly as quickly in the Plane of Fire as it does here in the Material Plane, giving you precious time after I drain it some more. And in return, I will gain a favour, to be collected at my convenience, from the followers of an immensely powerful entity."
Still, Karlach examined the contract with a distrustful eye. Now that it came to it, I could see the doubts etched on my friend's face, hesitating to take that final step.
"Time may be short," Raphael continued, his voice insistent, "but so is this contract. Consider your options carefully, my dear Karlach. The choice is yours, and yours alone."
As he spoke, I saw Karlach's gaze drift toward the illusory image of Tav, Gale, and Shadowheart, our dear companions, their forms frozen in time around her. I could feel how her soul ached with the weight of her decision as if it were my own, torn between loyalty to her friends and the desperate desire for survival. I could feel the struggle within her, a storm of emotion threatening to tear her apart.
"Choose now," Raphael urged, his voice a siren song of temptation.
"All right," Karlach whispered at last, her voice barely audible even to my own ears. She looked once more at her friends, their faces etched with concern and fear, and then back to the demon before her. "I'll do it."
"Excellent," Raphael murmured, his smile widening as he extended a hand towards the contract. "Sign here, and our agreement is sealed."
With a trembling hand, Karlach took up the quill provided by the demon, the ink as black as the depths of the Abyss. As she signed her name, I felt an icy chill run down my spine, a sense of foreboding that seemed to echo through the very fabric of reality itself.
And in that moment, as the ink dried on the parchment and the contract was sealed, I knew that we were all irrevocably changed. The path we had set upon, dark and dangerous though it may be, was one from which there could be no turning back.
For better or worse, Karlach had made her choice. And as the world around us began to move once more, I could only pray that it would not lead us all into the jaws of ruin.
The Elfsong Tavern, once a beacon of warmth and camaraderie, lay in ruin around us as Raphael's illusions faded. The shattered remains of chairs and tables were strewn across the floor, the walls scarred with the remnants of recent battle. Yet none of that destruction could compare to the turmoil within us. In the midst of the chaos, my companions and I stood in stunned silence, the weight of Raphael's revelation hanging heavy in the air.
"Surely you jest," I hissed, my voice trembling with anger and disbelief as I glared at the demon before us. "Karlach would never make such an ill-advised bargain."
Raphael merely smiled, his demonic eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ah, dear chronicler, but she did," he purred, his voice dripping with palpable satisfaction. "And why wouldn't she? Time was running out for her, after all, and it was by far my most generous bargain to date. I sometimes surprise even myself with-"
"Enough lies!" Shadowheart spat, her blue eyes flashing with barely contained fury. "We've had enough of your games, demon."
"Indeed," Gale chimed in, his own expression one of cold determination. "We've no reason to believe you or trust your words, as admirably put together as that little show might have been."
Tav, our stoic leader, raised a hand to silence us. He regarded Raphael with a steely gaze, his jaw set firmly. "Whatever your intentions may be, tell us more about this supposed bargain and the followers of... Solvitaris was it?"
"Very well," Raphael acquiesced, his smile never faltering. "I cannot claim to know precisely what the followers of Solvitaris desire, life is so boring when no mysteries can be found. But I can hazard a guess. They seek the power of Karlach's engine, no doubt to resurrect their precious phoenix. Five centuries have passed since the last rebirth – quite an unprecedented hiatus, even for a phoenix as ancient as him."
"Powerful as Karlach's infernal engine might be," Gale interjected, "triggering the early resurrection of an ancient Phoenix is not a feat it can easily accomplish. And given your particular line of work, I am sure you too know this fact quite well. So I'm inclined to ask about the kind of game you seem to be trying to play here."
"By itself? No, surely not. But if it consumed not just her body, but her soul? Ah, now, that is a different matter. Such power contained in mortal souls, and such waste of it too," Raphael trailed off, looking into the distance as if regarding events long lost to the dawn of memory.
As I struggled to process the implications of Raphael's words, a flurry of emotions churned within me – fear, desperation, and perhaps most of all, an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Our dear friend Karlach, lost to us in a deal made with a demon – the very thought twisted my gut into knots.
"Why? Why involve Karlach? Why not simply take the engine?" Tav said. "And let her die in peace?"
"Ah, but where would be the fun in that?" Raphael mused, his dark eyes glittering with cruel delight. "Besides, our dear Karlach serves as a most convenient conduit for their desires. Without her, it is merely a powerful artifact; with her, it becomes something... transformative. She wore it for ten years, after all, who else could they put the engine into that could match such experience?"
"You must know that we will do everything in our power to save her," Gale declared, his voice resolute. The threat wasn't direct, but it was clearly more than implied. "We will not allow her fate to rest in the hands of these cultists."
"Indeed," I agreed quietly, my heart heavy with grief and determination. "Whatever the cost, we will find her and bring her home."
"Of course you will," Raphael said. "And that, my dear chronicler, is why I'm here after all."
"Enough," Tav demanded, his voice cold and resolute. "I'm tired of all these games. What is it that you want?"
At this, Raphael's demeanor shifted, the amused smile disappearing from his face as he glided closer. His eyes burned with a sinister intensity as he spoke. "What I want is what I am owed: the Netherese crown. You may not have made deals with me, but that artifact is mine by right."
"What? Nonsense," Tav retorted, his blue eyes flashing with anger. "We owe you nothing. We never struck a bargain with you."
"You have indeed been rather uncooperative during your travels. Which is why it is time to show you where you truly stand," Raphael continued, his eyes blazing, his air of amusement gone. "I am willing to overlook your insolence if you comply. In exchange for the crown, I can bring Karlach back to you, with some extra time granted to her. You see, I have a buyback option in my contract with the followers of Solvitaris. Unlike Karlach's contract, theirs was... considerably more voluminous."
"Even if we wanted to," Shadowheart interjected, her voice tight with restrained fury, "the crown is lost. It shattered into pieces and now resides at the bottom of the harbor. Or did you conveniently forget that little detail?"
"Ah, my dear cleric," Raphael replied, his voice dripping with honeyed venom. "I am well aware of the crown's state. And yet, I still insist upon its retrieval. A mere trifle for such resourceful individuals as yourselves, no?"
"Forgive me for asking," I began, my own patience wearing thin, "but why must we recover the crown for you? If it is so important, why do you not seek it out yourself? You have servants and power enough."
Raphael's eyes narrowed, a flicker of annoyance passing through his expression before it was quickly replaced by a sardonic grin. "Why, Aereleth, I am merely trying to demonstrate the scope of your insignificance in this grand game we play. Besides, there are certain... consequences if I were to intervene directly. Consequences that your fragile Material Plane would be ill-fitted to bear."
"Consequences?" Gale echoed, suspicion evident in his tone. "What kind of consequences?"
"Let us just say," Raphael mused, his gaze distant as if recalling some long-forgotten memory, "that direct intervention on my part would attract unwanted attention from other players in this game. And neither you nor I would appreciate the escalation that would surely follow."
It dawned on me then how truly precarious our situation was. Not only did we face the threat of a cult wielding the power of Karlach's infernal engine, but we were now entangled in the machinations of a demon who cared nothing for our plight, save for what he could gain.
The weight of our mission settled heavily upon my shoulders, the burden of survival and sacrifice bearing down upon me like a crushing force. And though I knew the odds were stacked against us, I could not allow myself to falter or fail. For Karlach's sake, and for the world that we fought so desperately to protect.
"The Netherese crown," Raphael finally said.
No amusement, no velvet in the voice, not even anger. Finality, a flat demand that carried with it the consequences of refusal. With a flick of his fingers, he was gone, and we were left in the ruined interior of the Elfsong Tavern with naught but our despair for company.
Author's Notes: One of the things that doesn't quite fit, I think, is how demons such as Mizora and Raphael can so easily just come to the mortal world and mess around with mortals, specially when there's an artifact as powerful as the Crown is supposed to be involved. IMO, knowing the Forgotten Realms setting, there would be some celestial beings coming down as well to keep them in check if they step too far. In part one could argue that's what the Nightsong does, even though mechanically she ain't all that; but then again, the balance of the game leans pretty heavily towards the "easy" end of the spectrum if you're familiar enough with 5e. Separating game mechanics from narrative is something that we encounter often in videogames, so I don't really dwell on it too much.
So that's pretty much what I'm trying to handle here with this scene - put a bit of a restraint on how much Raphael can intervene, give him a bit of a motivation to eff around with the mortals who continue to defy him, and more importantly, get around something else that's a little problematic. In 5e, and in previous editions too, there's far too many ways to resurrect people for Karlach's end to be final. Now, as I said before, I can consider game vs. narrative mechanics and needs, but this is something that did bother me a little about that end, specially because it doesn't require much from the writers to fit better in lore - just have Tav promise that he'll find a way to bring her back at the very end, maybe throw something about the infernal engine making it harder, honestly it didn't take much. I just wish they've done that little extra effort to explain why resurrection for her would be hard or impossible.
But anyway, that's just nitpicking on my part. I don't want to come across as if I'm trying to "fix" anything (this ain't Mass Effect 3's end!), just some quibbles and things I'm going to be addressing during the fic and why. I wouldn't be here if I didn't love the game!
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Next? Well, next is the introduction of the OC - bonus points if you can guess how or why! Until then, thanks for reading!